National Expert to support the implementation of UN Women’s Strategy for Partnership with the Private Sector in Palestine

Background

UN Women (UNW), grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security. Placing women’s rights at the centre of all its efforts, the UN Women leads and coordinates the United Nations system efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. It provides strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States’ priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.

UN Women’s triple mandate, along with its global network and deep policy and programming expertise, continues to endow the Entity with a unique capacity to: (i) support Member States to strengthen global norms and standards for gender equality and women’s empowerment, and mainstream gender perspectives in other thematic areas; (ii) promote coordination and coherence across the UN system to enhance accountability and results for gender equality and women’s empowerment; and (iii) undertake operational activities to support Member States, upon their request, in translating global norms and standards into legislation, policies and strategies at country level.

UN Women plays an innovative and catalytic role in the State of Palestine since its inception in 1997 (as UNIFEM). In line with the national priorities, the work of UN Women for the period 2023-2025 is aligned with three of the Palestine United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework’s (UNSDCF) outcomes:

• Palestinians have greater access to economic opportunities that are inclusive, resilient, and sustainable, including decent employment and livelihoods opportunities in an empowered private sector.
• Palestinians, including the most vulnerable, have equal access to sustainable, inclusive, gender responsive and quality social services, social protection, and affordable utilities.
• Palestinian governance institutions, processes, and mechanisms at all levels are more democratic, rights-based, inclusive, and accountable.

Its three-year Strategic Note supports the efforts to achieve measurable results in country in terms of four UN Women global Strategic Plan impacts (2022-2025): (SP Impact 1). Governance and participation in public life; (SP Impact 2). Women’s Economic Empowerment; (SP Impact 3). Ending Violence Against Women and Girls and; SP Impact 4. Women peace and security, Humanitarian & Disaster Risk Reduction. 

Emerging evidence on the impact of COVID-19 suggests that women’s economic and productive roles are affected disproportionately and differently from men. Women earn less, save less, hold less secured jobs, are more likely to be employed in the informal sector, have less access to financial services and lack access to professional networks. As a result, women’s preparedness and mitigation capacity to absorb economic shocks becomes more compromised than that of men. Therefore, it is important to engage private sector as a major actor in the economic sector in Palestine in designing and implementing responsive, relevant and effective and women’s economic empowerment action plans that attract, retain and promote women’s participation and leadership in the labour force and the world of work in the State of Palestine.

UN Women’s engagement with the private sector in Palestine focuses on mainstreaming gender in the labor market and the economy at large, specifically, it focuses on promoting corporate policies that ensure decent work conditions and earnings for women. The approach is guided by the Women Empowerment Principals (WEPs), which include a set of global principles offering guidance to businesses on how to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment in the workplace, marketplace and community.

During 2021, private sector partners have enhanced their abilities to assess their institutional performance on gender equality using the WEPs gender gap analysis tool and promoted a gender inclusive working environment and response to COVID-19, utilizing a number of practical tools and resources provided by UN Women.  A Partnership Strategy with the Palestinian Private Sector was developed to offer a roadmap for UN Women’s support to the private sector in Palestine, utilizing the WEPs and other gender equality tools for enhancing gender equality and women’s economic empowerment. The Strategy aims to deepen partnerships with key players in the economic sector at the national, regional and global levels and to increase the engagement of the private sector with various stakeholders to achieve a positive impact on women’s equal participation and retention in the labour market as workers, leaders and business owners.

In line with UN Women’s strategic priority “increasing women’s income security, decent work and economic autonomy”, and within the framework of the regional programme “Promoting Productive Employment and Decent Work For Women” implemented jointly by UN Women and ILO in Palestine, Jordan and Egypt, with funding from the Government of  Sweden (Sida), UN Women Palestine Country Office is seeking to recruit a national consultant to support the implementation of UN Women’s Strategy for Partnership with the Private Sector in Palestine.

This assignment comes under the Decent Work Joint Programme’s outputs 2.1 “Corporate leaders’ group in favor of promoting women employees is increased” and 2.4 “Corporate investment in training and professional development of women employees and gender equality is promoted”, with focus on the WEPs, mainly Principle 2: Treat all Women and Men Fairly at Work without Discrimination, Principle 4: Education and training for career advancement, Principle 5: Enterprise development, supply chain and marketing practices, and Principle 6: Community initiatives and advocacy.

Objective of the assignment

In alignment with the Decent Work Joint Programme’s outputs 2.1 “Corporate leaders’ group in favor of promoting women employees is increased” and 2.4 “Corporate investment in training and professional development of women employees and gender equality is promoted”, with focus on the WEPs, mainly Principle 2: Treat all Women and Men Fairly at Work without Discrimination, Principle 4: Education and training for career advancement, Principle 5: Enterprise development, supply chain and marketing practices, and Principle 6: Community initiatives and advocacy, the objective of the assignment is to support the engagement and commitment of the private sector for achieving a positive impact on women’s equal participation, access to decent work and retention in the labour market and in leadership positions.

Expected results of the assignment:

• Effective implementation of the Partnership Strategy with the Private Sector and the WEPs signatories’ network is launched to enhance the implementation of WEPs by private sector stakeholders, through knowledge, capacity building, networking, advocacy, research and outreach interventions.
• Development of practical tools and hands-on methods on the WEPs implementation (from theory to practice), by actively engaging the private sector partners through knowledge sharing opportunities and platforms, to monitor and report on the impact and results achieved at workplace, marketplace and the community. 

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the overall guidance of the UN Women Special Representative in the State of Palestine, and the direct supervision of the WEE Programme Manager, the consultant will undertake the following duties and responsibilities:

1. Support in implementing the Private Sector Partnership Strategy:

• Prepare a detailed workplan for the assignment, including the methodology, with key deliverables in line with the detailed tasks.
•  Support UN Women in establishing and launching the WEPs Network - comprised of WEPs signatories in Palestine, with rotational coordination responsibility among the private sector partners/signatories, to serve as gender champions, and to engage around gender responsive policies, practices and initiatives as means for private sector’s growth and improved socio-economic conditions for women at the national and regional levels.
• Facilitate strategic convenings and support facilitating the regular WEPs Network meetings among private sector companies (at least 2) and national actors, to share innovative ideas and strategies for enhancing the gender-responsiveness of their internal policies and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programming activities, and to adopt affirmative actions in relation to gender responsive procurement and other priorities as part of the WEPs network interventions.
• Update the mapping report of UN Women’s previous engagement with private sector and other acting stakeholders in Palestine through the Women Empowerment Principals (WEPs) and other gender equality tools/frameworks in Palestine as needed.
• Update the offline database for the WEPs signatories and potential signatories in Palestine and related details, profiles, sectors, geographical location etc. on a regular basis, as guided by UN Women team.

 

1. Provide technical advice and capacity development to strengthen UN Women’s partnerships with the private sector and relevant acting stakeholders:

• Provide UN Women’s private sector partners and national actors with technical advice and support in designing and implementing outreach events (at least two during the assignment’s duration) and initiatives on several aspects, including gender responsive procurement, social impact strategies, women’s leadership, inclusion in the workplace, etc.).

• Design and deliver at least two training/coaching sessions to develop private sector partner’s capacities and awareness on gender equality concepts and support developing/updating/implementing existing gender responsive action plans and institutional policies, including but not limited to, developing and supporting implementing different monitoring tools for their plans, providing advice to develop leadership programmes/interventions for women employees, flexible working arrangements etc.
• Based on consultation with UN Women and partners, support designing and conducting at least one community-based initiative, with focus on WEPs principals 2, 4, 5 and 6, as applicable.
• Support in identifying and reaching out to new companies (minimum of five), in different economic sectors, including women-led companies, seeking buy-in from their leadership to join the WEPs and advocate for corporate gender responsive policies and practices and their implementation.

 

1. Support UN Women’s efforts in documenting and showcasing best practices and lessons learned of WEPs signatories at the local, regional and global levels:

• Support the preparation and facilitation of UN Women’s WEPs events, knowledge sharing workshops and webinars (at least 1), and produce relevant reports on lessons learned, best practices, recommendations and opportunities.

• Support in developing and conducting online surveys and researches (at least 2), for WEPs signatories on the WEPs implementation and impact on their performance and achievements, based on specific indicators and targets, to prepare relevant analyses and inform future interventions and the impact on corporates at the internal, external and national levels.
• Work closely with WEP signatories to document the change made and develop written/visual materials (at least 2 case studies / best practices) to showcase the positive effect of women’s leadership and participation on development, growth and economic levels (i.e. reduction in staff turnover, less absenteeism, women in leadership positions affecting policy making, increased productivity, investments in training and professional development of women employees, corporate policies in favor of women entrepreneurs, corporate financial performance, etc.).

Deliverables:

• Deliverable 1: An updated action plan for the Strategy implementation and an updated mapping/strategy/WEPs signatories database. This includes training reports and tools developed and delivered and events/knowledge sharing workshops conducted, and related annexes. (April 2023)
• Deliverable 2: A progress report on the Strategy action plan implementation, including capacity development and sensitization, launching of the WEPs network, events, initiatives, meetings conducted, as applicable. (June 2023)
• Deliverable 3: A progress report on the Strategy action plan implementation, including capacity development and sensitization, events, initiatives, meetings conducted, as applicable. (August 2023)
• Deliverable 4: A final report summarizing the assignment results and materials developed, including a section on the UN Women’s strategy implementation progress, opportunities and challenges, training tools/modules, reports, WEPs network achievements, case studies and all related annexes, including pictures, pre and post assessments etc. (October 2023)

All final deliverables shall be submitted in English.

Competencies

Core Values

• Respect for Diversity;
• Integrity;
• Professionalism.

Core Competencies

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues;
• Accountability;
• Creative Problem Solving;
• Effective Communication;
• Inclusive Collaboration;
• Stakeholder Engagement;
• Leading by Example.

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Core Values and Competencies: https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About%20Us/Employment/UN-Women-values-and-competencies-framework-en.pdf

Functional Competencies

• Strong knowledge of international standards on women economic security and rights and related instruments, including the WEPs other gender equality tools and frameworks.
• Ability to liaise with a variety of stakeholders and partners, mainly the private sector and other national actors;
• Strong analytical, dialogue, consultation, research and communication skills;
• Maturity, ability to take decisions under pressure and ability to deal with matters that are politically and culturally sensitive;
• Ability to work as a member of a team;
• Demonstrated experience in timely delivering of quality products, including knowledge products, and in contributing to complex processes within the women’s economic empowerment area of work;
• Demonstrated coordination, training, facilitation and presentation skills;
• Results oriented, flexible and problem-solving skills;

Required Skills and Experience

Qualifications
Education	Master’s degree or equivalent in business, economics, gender studies, international development, international relations, trade, or other related fields.
Experience	At least 5 years of experience working on private sector engagement for gender equality and social impact; At least 4 years of experience on strengthening capacities of the private sector and other entities on gender, institutional development, policy making and leadership; At least 4 years of experience in designing and management of learning materials and trainings on gender; At least two years of experience in conducting research, analysis, assessments and/or studies related to private sector development.
Language Requirements	Arabic and English

 

Evaluation Criteria  

This SSA modality is governed by UN Women General Terms and Conditions. UN Women will only be able to respond to applicants who meet the minimum requirements. 

Candidates should clearly indicate how they meet the above-mentioned criteria in their applications. 

The following documents should be submitted as part of the application. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please make sure you have provided all requested materials: 

• P11 including experience in similar assignments; the P11 form can be downloaded at http://www.unwomen.org/about-us/employment, a signed copy should be submitted. 
• Two samples of work, on developed training materials, policies, or assessments or researches.

Note: Kindly note that the system will only allow one attachment. Please upload as one attachment of the documents as mentioned above online through this website 

Candidates should have the ability to quickly submit degree certificates, medical certification (of good health) expression of Interest (EoI). 

Long listed candidates should provide at least two samples of previous research, analyses, assessments or studies related to women’s economic empowerment, gender audits, gender equality and private sector development.  

Evaluation of applicants 

Candidates will be evaluated using a cumulative analysis method taking into consideration the combination of the applicants’ qualifications mentioned above, and a financial proposal. A contract will be awarded to the individual consultant whose offer receives the highest score out of below defined technical and financial criteria. Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 50 points in the technical evaluation will be considered for financial evaluation. 

Technical Evaluation (70%) – max. 70 points:  

• A Master’s degree or equivalent in business, economics, gender studies, international development, international relations, trade, or other related fields. (10 points max) 
• At least 5 years of experience working on private sector engagement for gender equality and social impact; (15 points max) 
• At least 4 years of experience on strengthening capacities of the private sector and other entities on gender, institutional development, policy making and leadership; (15 points max) 
• At least 4 years of experience in designing and management of learning materials and trainings on gender; (10 points max) 
• At least two years of experience in conducting research, analysis, assessments and/or studies related to private sector development. (10 points max) 
• Two samples of work, on developed training materials, policies, or assessments or researches. (10 points max) 

Financial Evaluation (30%) – max. 30 points. 

The maximum number of points assigned to the financial proposal is allocated to the lowest price proposal. All other price proposals receive points in inverse proportion. A suggested formula is as follows:  

p = 30 (µ/z) 

Using the following values: 

p = points for the financial proposal being evaluated 

µ = price of the lowest priced proposal 

z = price of the proposal being evaluated 

Only long-listed candidates will be contacted. 

Financial proposal. The shortlisted candidate will be requested to submit a financial proposal. The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount breaking down a daily professional fee, proposed number of working days and any related expenses, i.e. travel and communications expenses in USD.